Chapter Wrapup

This chapter has explored both methods of modeling and ways of visualizing the landforms on Earth’s surface. In the next chapter, we’ll do a lot more with the 3D aspect of visualization. After all, there’s more than just the terrain that can be viewed in 3D—there are plenty of structures, buildings, and natural growth that can be added to a pseudo-3D terrain model to improve the realism of the scene. Chapter 14, which picks up where this one leaves off, continues pursuing new avenues of 3D visualization. Before then, check out the Apps, Blogs, and Social Media box for an app that will allow you to use topographic maps on your mobile device as well as Twitter and YouTube resources related to geospatial terrain concepts.

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This chapter’s lab will allow you to implement all of the chapter topics using not only Google Earth but also a new software package (called MICRODEM), which allows you to work directly with a DEM and its derivations.

Important note: The references for this chapter are part of the online companion for this book and can be found at http://www.whfreeman.com/shellito2e.

Apps, Blogs, and Social Media

Here is a sampling of available apps for your mobile device (note that some apps are for Android, some are for Apple iOS, and some may be available for both) as well as some social media outlets related to this chapter’s concepts.

A representative app for use on your phone or tablet:

  • MyTopoMaps – Trimble Outdoors: An app that gives you access to more than 68,000 topographic maps

Become a follower on Twitter of:

  • Open Topography: @OpenTopography

On YouTube, watch the videos of the following:

  • Elevation (a USGS video about the National Elevation Dataset): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMQQgPj1mX4
  • US Topo (a USGS video concerning the development of the US Topos): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hv0jxsW3qgY